The constitution of the Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization

CATALOGUING DATA

ORIGINAL TITLE:The constitution of the Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization

CATEGORY:Foundational documents for political movements

DESCRIPTION:

ORIGINAL LANGUAGE:English

DATE:1896

AUTHOR(S):Coge Delcev; Gorce Petrov

REFERENCE PERSONS:Coge Delcev; Gorce Petrov

CONTEXT:

ABSTRACT

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Chapter I

Aim

Article 1. The aim of the Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization is to unite all discontented elements in Macedonia and the Adrianople region, regardless of nationality, in order to attain through revolution full political autonomy for these two regions.

Article 2. For the attainment of this aim, the Organization strives to overcome chauvinist propaganda and national disputes which partition and weaken the population of Macedonia and Adrianople in their struggle against the common enemy; it works on introducing a revolutionary spirit and awareness among the population and uses all means and efforts for the present and timely armament of the population with everything that is necessary for a common and general uprising.

Chapter II

Composition and structure

Article 3. The Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization consists of local revolutionary organizations (companies), comprised of the members of each separate locality (town or village).

Article 4. A member of the S.M.A.R.O. Can be any Macedonian or citizen of the Adrianople region who has not compromised himself with anything dishonest and characterless before society and who promises and vows to work for the benefit of the revolutionary liberation cause.

Article 5. Each local organization is guided and directed by its own local committee (governing body). The committees are divided into village, district and regional ones.

Article 6. Each local organization is divided into groups headed by chiefs (desetniks).

Article 7. The village committees are subordinate to the district ones, the district committees to the regional ones, and the whole organization is guided and directed by the Central Secret Revolutionary Macedonian-Adrianople Committee.

Article 8. The village committees (governing bodies) are chosen from the members of the local organizations and confirmed by the district committees (governing bodies); the latter are directed by the members of the district centres and confirmed by the regional committees with approval of the Central Committee, and the regional committees are appointed directly by the latter. In extraordinary circumstances, the C.C. has the right to entrust the direction of activity in the districts and the regions to a person chosen by it from among the members or to an authorized person from outside.

Article 9. The members of the Central Committee are chosen every year by the district and regional committees by agreement. The choice is carried out according to the dictating circumstances. The time and place of choice are determined by the C.C.

Article 10. During the choice of the C.C., the location of its seat is determined, which will be known only to the district and regional committees.

Article 11. Each district revolutionary section has its own detachment, the task of which will be defined by special regulations.

Article 12. Every member of the committee has a pseudonym given by the Central Committee.

Article 13. The S.C.M.A.R.C. has a seal with an emblem consisting of a banner, swords, rifles and a bomb, with the inscription Macedonian-Adrianople Central Revolutionary Committee. The size and characteristic signs are set by the Central Committee and are conveyed to the district and regional committees in a special circular.

Article 14. Each regional, district and village committee has its own secret post for communication with the adjacent committees.

Article 15. Each committee has its own secret police for following the activity of external and internal enemies, as well as for their own safety before them.

Article 16. Each committee keeps the committee superior to it informed about the activities in its territory, and at the end of each month it presents a detailed report of all its activities in every respect.

Chapter III

Material Means of the Revolutionary Organization

Article 17. The S.R.O. Will obtain money 1) from voluntary donations 2) from regular membership fees, and 3) from money collected by means considered expedient by the C.M.A.R.C. or by the local committees with the prior approval of the Central Committee.

Chapter IV

Punishments

Article 18. Anyone who makes an offence to the detriment of the cause, be he a worker or not, is to be punished. The punishment is determined by the local committee and is carried out after the Central Committee has given its approval.

Article 19. Detailed internal rules have been worked out on the basis of this Statute.

Note

Coge Delcev and Gorce Petrov were given the task of working out a Statute of the Organization at the "Salonika Congress" of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. They worked it out and printed it. Then they sent it to the revolutionary units. Here we quote the integral text of the Statute.